A sail-together of tall ships from Kochi to Muscat—that’s 1200 nautical miles—and back, trying to retrace the ancient maritime trade route between the Malabar Coast and the Persian Gulf. As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), India’s Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and his Iranian counterpart Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi flagged off the event from Kochi on November 14. One Omani vessel, two Indian naval ships and a ‘sea rider’ each from China, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Australia, Bangladesh and Maldives are part of this maritime venture.
Enthusiasts think BRICS is taking on the US-led West. Critics think it is just a weak wannabe. In reality, BRICS is undergirding the new global order that will bring together friends and foes alike. A Deep Analysis by Drishtikone.
Swami Dhirendra Shastri called for a meat-free Navratri in Bengal. Parties answered by invoking Shakta tradition. A restricted rite, stripped of its disciplines, has become “culture”, and Bengal uses its first taste of political freedom in decades to flaunt the very decay that helped undo it.
